JACKSONVILLE —
The West Nile virus, which is responsible for 40 deaths in Texas this year, claimed its first victim in Cherokee County, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The fatality occurred in an immunocompromised patient suffering from the more severe neuroinvasive form of the virus, according to a Cherokee County Public Health Department press release. Under HIPA laws, no further information on the patient was available.
As of Tuesday, Cherokee County had two confirmed cases of West Nile fever and two confirmed cases of West Nile neuroinvasive illness.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) website, as of Aug. 30, there were 1,013 total confirmed cases in the state, with 518 of them were the less severe fever form and 495 of the more severe neuroinvasive form. The vast majority of cases are in the Dallas metroplex area.
The site lists Angelina County with 10 total cases, 16 in Gregg County, including one death, five in Rusk County and nine in Smith County.
According to the TDSHS, most people infected with the virus will not have any symptoms, and senior citizens are more prone to infection.
Those who come down with the fever form will have mild symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, and occasionally a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.
The symptoms of the West Nile neuroinvasive disease include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis, the department states. Only about one out of 150 people infected with West Nile virus will develop a more severe form of the disease.
Cherokee County Public Health officials said they will continue to investigate all reports of possible West Nile Virus cases.
Rhonda Jones, Public Health Preparedness Coordinator for the county, said residents who think they may have either form of the disease should go to the doctor to be tested. She said results will be sent to the health department and they will followup with an investigation.
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September 5, 2012
BREAKING NEWS: West Nile virus claims first victim in Cherokee County
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